Apparatus for continuously producing blocks from scrap metal

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for continuously producing blocks from scrap metal including a compression box which squeezes scrap metal loaded therein into an elongated charge and which includes a ram means for pushing this charge into an axially aligned feeding section. In the feeding section, a plate slidably mounted upon a carriage is vertically lowered behind the rear end of the charge and the charge is driven out the discharge end of the feeding section into the path of a reciprocating shearing blade by a second ram which engages the carriage. The compression box may be reloaded while the feeding and shearing operations take place whereby a continuous process is possible.

llnited States Patent 1 1 [111 3,782,274 Thompson 1 Jan. 1, 1.974

[5 APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY 3,283,697 11/1966 Findlay 100/95 PRODUCINGBLOCKS FROM SCRAP METAL Inventor: Wallace M. Thompson, R.F.D. No.

i 3, Cordele, Ga. 31015 Filed: Mar. 17, 1972 Appl. No.: 235,719

References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1965 Patros 100/95 X 2/1971Schonauer 4/1960 Thompson l()/I97l Galler IOU/95 X PrimaryExaminer-Billy J. Wilhite Attorney.lohn W. Malley et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for continuously producing blocks from scrapmetal including a compression box which squeezes scrap metal loadedtherein into an elongated charge and which includes a ram means forpushing this charge into an axially aligned feeding section. In thefeeding section, a plate slidably mounted upon a carriage is verticallylowered behind the rear end of the charge and the charge is driven outthe discharge end of the feeding section into the path of areciprocating shearing blade by a second ram which engages the carriage.The compression box may be reloaded while the feeding and shearingoperations take place whereby a continuous process is possible.

12 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAIEMEM "1 mm SHEET 2 0F 3 APPARATUS FORCONTINUOUSLY PRODUCING BLOCKS FROM SCRAP METAL BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to machinesfor operating on scrap metal and, more particularly, to machines orgroups of machines which transform discarded automobile bodies or likescrap metal into blocks of compressed metal suitable for subsequentprocessing.

2. Description of the Prior Art Methods and apparatus for reducingautomobiles or the like to compact, easily handed segments of compressedmaterial are well known.

In one process the automobile is compressed to a plate section in avertically operating hydraulic press which plate is then passed via aconveyor to a stripping section wherein the plate is segmented intoelongated strips. Each of these strips is then sheared into blocks orsegments suitable for subsequent operations. Such a process is subjectto several inherent disabilities. First of all, a potential bottleneckoccurs at the segmenting and shearing stages since the segmenting stagecreates n number of segments each one of which must be individually andsequentially exposed to shearing.

Secondly, such a system as that described above would not work well inconjunction with the highly efficient type of charging box for metalscrap which is disclosed in the US. Pat. No. Re 25,268 to Thompsonissued or! October 22,1962 since tl1 e Thompson device produces anelongated compacted Trias sbf appro xi mately square cross sectionrather than a plate.

The Thompson device has the drawback that it cannot be operatedcontinuously, i.e., the compression box cannot be reloaded while ahydraulic ram forces the elongated compacted mass through a shearingunit mounted at one endof the compression box. Furthermore, to insert aconveyor as taught in the above described system between the compressionbox and shearing device unit of Thompson would not produce a workabledevice since a great force is needed to ram the elongated mass throughthe shearing unit and the frictional forces between the conveyor beltand the elongated mass could not alone produce such a force.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to overcome thedisadvantages of theprior art described above and, more specifically, in order to adapt theThompson device for continuous operation, the present invention providesa feeding box between the compression box and the shearing unit each ofwhich may be similar to those units as described in the above identifiedpatent which is incorporated by reference herein.

The feed box comprises a channel defined by a bottom and opposed sidewalls which is approximately equal in cross sectional shape and size tothe shape and ing said plate. The feed box has a longer axial dimensionthan the compression box and a longer axial dimension from the plate tothe shearing unit so that the elongated masses may be ejected from thecompression box into a position between the plate and the shearing unit.Thus, it is possible to raise said plate when an elongated mass is beingejected into the feed box, then lower the plate and use the ram to forcethe mass through a shearing unit mounted adjacent the opposite end ofthe feed box channel. A continuous operation for the unit as a whole isensured because the compression box can be reloaded during the shearingoperation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The preferred embodiment of theinvention will now be described with reference to the following drawingsin which:

FIG. I is a partially schematic side view of an apparatus in accordancewith the applicants invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 but with the feedram carriage shown in a different position;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. I.

The same elements are designated by the same reference numeralthroughout.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to thedrawings, reference numeral 10 designates generally the preferredembodiment of an apparatus for continuously producing blocks from scrapmetal. Proceeding from the input to the output sides of apparatus 10,the first portion encountered is compression box 12 which receives thescrap metal in noncompacted form and changes this metal throughcompression into a compacted mass or slug 113 having peripheraldimensions no greater than the internal dimensions of box 12.

While the box 12 may assume various forms, one suitable embodiment isthat shown in the United States patent cited above and incorporated byreference herein. Once loose scrap material has been compressed in box12, it is forced from this box by a gatherer ram 14 which may beoperated by a gatherer ram cylinder 16.

The gatherer ram 14 moves, under the influence of cylinder 16, from theposition shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1 to the position shown in fulllines therein. This action moves the slug 13 of compressed metal intothe feed box 18 of the apparatus which is in axial alignment with theinterior 15 of compression box 12 and which has a substantiallyidentical internal cross sectional shape and size. The feed box 18 alsohas an axial length from the full line position of ram 14 to theshearing unit which is longer than the length of compression 12 so thatthe slug 13 formed in the compression box 12 may be adequately receivedwithin this portion of feed box 18. The gatherer rams full line positionis just beyond the door portion 20 of the feed ram carriage 22. The doorportion 20 is mounted for sliding vertical movement in feed ram carriage22 and is powered by motor 28, pump 30 and cylinders 24A and 24.8 to belifted to the position shown in full lines in FIG. 1 so that slug 13 andram 14 may pass the position of feed ram carriage 22. See also in thisregard FIGS. 3 and which show the feed ram carriage 22 in end and sideviews, respectively.

From these views it is clear that cylinders 24A and 24B are secured tocarriage 22 and the pistons of the cylinders are secured to the brace 26which is secured as by welding to the top edge of door 20 so that door20 is extended upward along guiding tracks 27A and 278 formed incarriage 22 when the cylinders 24A and 24B are activated by fluidsupplied from pump 30 under the action of motor 28.

After the slug 13 has been forced to the position shown in FIG. 1 andthe gatherer ram 14 is retracted to the solid line position shown inFIG. 2, the door 20 is lowered and the feed ram carriage 22 is forced tothe left by feed ram 32 which is, in turn, operated by feed ram cylinder34. The feed ram carriage is guided in this travel by lugs 36A and 368which are received within slots 38A and 38B, respectively, formed alongopposed outer surfaces of feed box 22 as is best seen in FIG. 3. As thefeed ram carriage approaches the lid assembly 40, which is best seen inFIG. 4, the lid cylinder 42 causes lid ram 44 to pivot assembly 40 aboutpivot shaft 46 away from the position shown in FIG. 4 to that shown inFIG. 2 so that there is no interference between the lid assembly 40 andthe feed ram carriage 22. It is noted that the purpose of lid assembly40 is to apply a downward pressure to the top of slug 13 so as todepress any upward facing projections therein which may be left bycompression box 12 or which may be forced upwards during feeding of slug13, before the slug is sheared into blocks. It is noted that while asingle lid assembly has been shown it is also possible to use opposedlids which are pivotally mounted to opposite sides of feed box 18 andwhich together enclose the upper surface of the feed box.

As the feed ram carriage 22 moves to the left, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2to force the slug 13 into the shear assembly, its movements arecoordinated with the vertical reciprocation of cross head 48 of shearassembly 50 which operates, under the force of hydraulic cylinder 52 tosequentially shear fixed lengths of slug 13 into blocks 54, (not shown).The reciprocating blade of the shear assembly is shown at 50A, and thefixed blade is shown at 503 in FIG. 1.

Before the invention of the above described apparatus, it was necessaryto perform each of the following processsteps in sequence to complete asingle operative cycle: Charging scrap metal into the compression box,compressing the charged scrap into a slug, forcing the charged scrapwith a feed ram past a reciprocating shearing device to shear aplurality of blocks therefrom, retracting the ram and recharging andcompressing a new charge of scrap. The above described device, on theother hand, permits simultaneous shearing and charging and compressingin cycles subsequent to start up whereby process time savings in therange of 47 to 75 percent may be achieved dependent upon the time takenup by individual process steps.

For example, in the applicants device, during startup, scrap metal isfirst fed to compression box 12 and then compressed therein to closedbox dimensions. The slug 13 formed therehy'is then forced beyond thefeed ram carriage 22 by the gatherer ram which then retracts to itsinitial position. The door 20 of the feed ram carriage 22 then descendsand, under the influence of feed ram 32, the slug 13 is forced beneaththe trimming lid 40 to the throat of the shearing device 50, the lid 40being lifted by piston 44 as the feed ram carriage 22 approaches within3 feet thereof. The feed ram carriage 22 then is automaticallycoordinated with the shearing device 50 by known means to feed the slug13 to the shearing device 50 in measured amounts as the shearing blade50A is vertically reciprocated whereby a plurality of blocks 54 areformed. Upon completion of its feeding stroke the door 20 of the feedram carriage is lifted and the carriage then returns to its initialposition.

In cycles subsequent to start up the charging of scrap, compression inbox 12, the ejection of the slug 13 into the feed box to a positionbeyond the initial position of feed ram carriage 22 is accomplishedsimultaneously with the feeding and shearing of slug l3 and the returnof feed ram carriage 22 to its initial position whereby a great savingsin operating time is achieved.

While the above description fully covers the preferred embodiment of theinvention, many modifications may be made to the specific apparatusdescribed within the scope of the invention.

Thus, to ascertain the true scope of the invention, reference should bemade to the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for continuously producing compressed blocks from scrapmetal comprising a compression portion including compression means forproducing an elongated charge of compressed scrap metal and means forejecting said charge from said compression portion, a feeding portion incommunication with said compression portion for receiving the chargefrom said compression portion and including means for steadily feedingsaid charge, said feeding portion including a boxlike receptacle havinga bottom wall and wall means fixedly secured to opposite sides of saidbottom wall defining a first open end axially aligned with, and havingsubstantially the same size as, the open end of said compression portionwhereby compressed scrap ejected from said compression portion passesinto said feeding portion and said receptacle further having a secondopen end substantially identical in size and shape to said first openend disposed at the opposite end of said feeding portion, and a shearingportion disposed adjacent and in communication with said second opendend of said feeding portion for receiving the charge from the feedingportion and shearing same into a plurality of blocks.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for steadilyfeeding said charge comprises a rigid plate member which is mounted in aplate mounting member which includes lift means for producing verticalmovement of said plate member in a plane perpendicular to said drivemeans causes said plate mounting member to slide along said receptacle.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said plate mounting memberfurther comprises a carriage mounted for movement adjacent and parallelto the longitudinal axis of said feeding portion, and means for movingsaid carriage.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein the portions of said wallmeans of said feeding portion opposite said bottom wall each include anaxially aligned slot and said carriage includes lugs which engage saidslots whereby said carriage is mounted for movement.

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein said means for moving saidcarriage comprises a reciprocating fluid motor.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said lift means comprises atleast one cylinder mounted to said carriage and including a pistonfixedly attached to said plate member, a hydraulic lift system, anelectrical motor and pump driven by said electrical motor both beingmounted upon said pump for generating flow through said hydraulic liftsystem to extend said piston from said cylinder and electrical operatorsfor controlling said motor.

7. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 further including a lid meanspivotally mounted adjacent said feeding portion for movement from anopen position to a closed position in which said open top of saidfeeding portion is at least substantially closed in the area adjacentsaid shearing portion and means for moving said lid means from said opento said closed and said closed to said open position. i

8. Apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said moving means comprises ahydraulic cylinder securely fixed adjacent said feeding portion and apiston movably disposed within said cylinder and fixed at one end tosaid lid means.

9. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said shearing portioncomprises a shear blade mounted for vertical movement across said secondopen end of said feeding portion to shear said compressed change intoblocks.

10. Apparatus for continuously producing compressed blocks for scrapmetal comprising: a horizontally elongated compression box forcompressing a charge of scrap metal into an elongated compacted mass; ahorizontally elongated open-ended shear feed box disposed adjacent oneend of said compression box on the longitudinal axis of said compressionbox for receiving a compacted mass of scrap metal from said compressionbox; an ejection ram for engaging the end of a compacted mass of scrapmetal in said compression box and for ejecting the mass from saidcompression box into said feed box; shearing means disposed adjacent theend of said feed box remote from said compression box for shearing acompacted mass of scrap metal into a plurality of blocks; and means forengaging the end of the compacted mass of scrap metal remote from saidshearing means and for moving the mass through said feed box toward saidshearing means.

11. Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said means for engaging the end ofa compacted mass of scrap metal and moving the mass toward said shearingmeans includes a vertically disposed door which is slidable betweenpositions in which it opens and closes the end of said feed box adjacentsaid compression box, and wherein said ejection ram has a strokesufficient to push a compacted mass of scrap metal past said door whenthe latter is in its open position.

12. Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said door is supported on acarriage which is mounted for reciprocating movement along the length ofsaid feed box.

1. Apparatus for continuously producing compressed blocks from scrapmetal comprising a compression portion including compressing means forproducing an elongated charge of compressed scrap metal and means forejecting said charge from said compression portion, a feeding portion incommunication with said compression portion for receiving the chargefrom said compression portion and including means for steadily feedingsaid charge, said feeding portion including a box-like receptacle havinga bottom wall and wall means fixedly secured to opposite sides of saidbottom wall defining a first open end axially aligned with, and havingsubstantially the same size as, the open end of said compression portionwhereby compressed scrap ejected from said compression portion passesinto said feeding portion and said receptacle further having a secondopen end substantially identical in size and shape to said first openend disposed at the opposite end of said feeding portion, and a shearingportion disposed adjacent and in communication with said second opendend of said feeding portion for receiving the charge from the feedingportion and shearing same into a plurality of blocks.
 2. Apparatus asrecited in claim 1 wherein said means for steadily feeding said chargecomprises a rigid plate member which is mounted in a plate mountingmember which includes lift means for producing vertical movement of saidplate member in a plane perpendicular to said wall means of said feedingportion from a lowered position which completely closes the openingdefined by said wall means and bottom wall to a raised position disposedabove said wall means, said apparatus further including a drive meansfor sliding said plate mounting member along said receptacle from afirst position adjacent said compression portion to a second positionadjacent said shearing portion whereby said plate member may be disposedin said raised position to receive said charge from said compressionportion and in said lowered position for steadily feeding said chargewhen said drive means causes said plate mounting member to slide alongsaid receptacle.
 3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said platemounting member further comprises a carriage mounted for movementadjacent and parallel to the longitudinal axis of said feeding portion,and means for moving said carriage.
 4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3wherein the portions of said wall means of said feeding portion oppositesaid bottom wall each include an axially aligned slot and said carriageincludes lugs which engage said slots whereby said carriage is mountedfor movement.
 5. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein said means formoving said carriage comprises a reciprocating fluid motor.
 6. Apparatusas recited in claim 2 wherein said lift means comprises at least onecylinder mounted to said carriage and including a piston fixedlyattached to said plate member, a hydraulic lift system, an electricalmotor and pump driven by said electrical motor both being mounted uponsaid pump for generating flow through said hydraulic lift system toextend said piston from said cylinder and electrical operators forcontrolling said motor.
 7. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 furtherincluding a lid means pivotally mounted adjacent said feeding portionfor movement from an open position to a closed position in which saidopen top of said feeding portion is at least substantially closed in thearea adjacent said shearinG portion and means for moving said lid meansfrom said open to said closed and said closed to said open position. 8.Apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said moving means comprises ahydraulic cylinder securely fixed adjacent said feeding portion and apiston movably disposed within said cylinder and fixed at one end tosaid lid means.
 9. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said shearingportion comprises a shear blade mounted for vertical movement acrosssaid second open end of said feeding portion to shear said compressedchange into blocks.
 10. Apparatus for continuously producing compressedblocks from scrap metal comprising: a horizontally elongated compressionbox for compressing a charge of scrap metal into an elongated compactedmass; a horizontally elongated open-ended shear feed box disposedadjacent one end of said compression box on the longitudinal axis ofsaid compression box for receiving a compacted mass of scrap metal fromsaid compression box; an ejection ram for engaging the end of acompacted mass of scrap metal in said compression box and for ejectingthe mass from said compression box into said feed box; shearing meansdisposed adjacent the end of said feed box remote from said compressionbox for shearing a compacted mass of scrap metal into a plurality ofblocks; and means for engaging the end of the compacted mass of scrapmetal remote from said shearing means and for moving the mass throughsaid feed box toward said shearing means.
 11. Apparatus as in claim 10wherein said means for engaging the end of a compacted mass of scrapmetal and moving the mass toward said shearing means includes avertically disposed door which is slidable between positions in which itopens and closes the end of said feed box adjacent said compression box,and wherein said ejection ram has a stroke sufficient to push acompacted mass of scrap metal past said door when the latter is in itsopen position.
 12. Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said door issupported on a carriage which is mounted for reciprocating movementalong the length of said feed box.